Thursday, August 23, 2007 Bacolod-Negros trip to US illegal, says education department
NOW it can be told. The recent trip of Bacolod-Negros softbelles to Kirkland, Washington, USA was considered illegal due to the absence of official leave documents.
So said Dr. Milagros Gonzales, superintendent of the Department of Education (DepEd)-Bacolod City Division.
The Ba-Neg girls competed in the 2007 Junior Little League World Series. Unfortunately due to some kinks and jinx, the girls suffered their worst fate.
They are set to arrive home on August 27.
The delegation is headed by Councilor Homer Bais. Gonzales however stressed that the stint of the Ba-Neg softball team in the US was illegal because she did not sign the leave papers of the coaches and other officials escorting the girls.
"It was due to their failure to settle their standing accounts from their previous trips," she said.
Gonzales has already demanded the delegation to settle first its old account.
"I told the coaches to pay first their accounts last year especially to the travel agency because I don't want to face any person who comes in just to ask for payments because even we in the department who have nothing to do with it are being bothered," Gonzales added.
The DepEd head further said the event that the softbelles participated in was a non-DepEd activity.
"This is an event handled by a private organization where they are members," she explained.
According to Gonzales, if the tournament is like the Palarong Pambansa which is a school-based sports event then DepEd provides funding support. However, in the case of the Little League, DepEd doesn't give any financial aid since it is handled by a private organization hence the association should take charge of their expenses.
"I am not against the girls' stint as long as they have the sponsor for their trip," clarified Gonzales.
The softbelles, on the other hand, were not also excused from their respective classes because Gonzales did not also sign their leave papers.
The girls therefore were considered absent from their classes during their entire stay in the US.
Gonzales, meanwhile, denied that she received any form of invitation from the organizers.
The stint of the Ba-Neg Softball team was a big "risk" after all, because, Gonzales said, "They flew to the US without an approval or clearance from the DepEd-Bacolod City Division, therefore, if anything adverse happens to the girls during the said trip, DepEd could not be held liable."
